Face shield



NOV- 2, 1965 E. H. WEBER 3,214,767

FACE SHIELD Filed Deo. 20, 1952 United States Patent O 3,214,767 FACE SHIELD Elden H. Weber, Chicago, lil., assigner to Chicago Eye Shield Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of lliinois Filed Dec. 2t), 1962, Ser. No. 246,184 7 Claims. (ci. 2 9) This invention is directed to a face shield for protecting the face of the wearer thereof of the type wherein a crown is carried by a headband or the like for overlying the forehead of the wearer and wherein a transparent shield depends from the lower edge of the crown for overlying the face of the wearer.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved face shield of the aforementioned type which efficiently performs its face shielding functions, which is simple but rugged in construction for long time use, which is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and in which the shield may be readily replaced and readily releasably locked in the crown.

Briey, the face shield of this invention includes a single piece molded synthetic plastic crown for overlying the forehead of the wearer, the crown having a top edge and a Abottom edge converging at the rear of the crown where the crown is attached to the headband or the like. Preferably, the crown has a double curved concavo-convex wall between said top and bottom edges with the convex side on the outside and the top edge of the crown has an outwardly arranged elongated rib molded thereon for reinforcing t-he same. The bottom edge of the crown has an elongated boss molded therealong, which is preferably outwardly arranged on the crown, and an elongated cavity molded in the boss and extending upwardly therein from the bottom edge of the crown. This single piece molded synthetic plastic crown may be readily molded in a mold having a convex die and a mating concave die with the mold parting lines extending along the inner side of the top edge and the outer side of the bottom edge of the crown.

The single piece molded synthetic plastic crown also has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and longitudinally arranged slots extending through the elongated boss at the bottom edge of the crown and the elongated cavity therein. A plurality of flanged fastening pins are slidably carried by the slots and they extend through the cavity in the boss. The face shield also includes a transparent synthetic plastic shield for overlying the face of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge of the shield having a plurality of substantially L-shaped notches extending downwardly therefrom and spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the slots in the boss of the crown.

The substantially L-shaped notches in the top edge of the shield and the fastening pins and the slots in the boss of the crown form means for releasably locking the shield to the crown. In this latter respect, the top edge of the shield is received in the cavity of the boss of the crown with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield registering with the slots in the boss of the crown and with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield receiving the fastening pins carried by the slots in the boss of the crown. The fastening pins are slidable longitudinally in the slots in the boss of the crown and the substantially L-shaped notches in the shield for releasably locking the top edge of the shield in the cavity of the boss of the crown. Also, preferably, the base portions of the substantially L-shaped notches in the shield are undercut to form detent means for releasably maintaining the fastening pins in their locking positions,

Further objects of this invention reside in the details of construction of the face shield and in the cooperative relationships between the component parts thereof.

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Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the face shield of this invention as applied to the head of the wearer;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the face shield of this invention taken substantially along the line 2 2 of FIG. l and illustrating the shield locked in position in the crown;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the top portion of the transparent shield;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view showing the manner in which the shield is applied to the crown;

FIG. 5 is a partial vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5 5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional View taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

The face shield of this invention is generally designated at 10 in FIG. l and it includes a single piece molded synthetic plastic crown 11 for overlying the forehead of the wearer. The crown 11 has a double curved concavoconvex wall 12 with the convex side on the outside. The crown 11 also has a top edge 13 and a bottom edge 14, the top and bottom edges 13 and 14 converging rearwardly where they merge as indicated at 15. The rearward ends of the crown 11 are pivotally and frictionally secured as indicated at 16 to a headband 17 which in turn is provided at its rear with overlapping ends and adjusting means 18 for adjusting the size of the headband to iit the head of the wearer. A cross strap 19 is also pivotally and adjustably secured as indicated at 20 to the headband 17. The headband 17 and the crossband 19 which iit the head of the wearer operate to support the crown 11 in a position overlying the forehead of the wearer.

The top edge 13 of the crown 11 is provided with a molded rib 22 for reinforcing the same, the molded rib 22 being arranged outwardly on the wall 12. The lower edge 14 of the crown 11 is provided with an elongated boss 23 which is also molded therealong, the boss 23 being outwardly arranged with respect to the wall 12. An elongated cavity 24 is molded in the boss 23 and it extends upwardly in the boss 23 from the bottom edge 14 of the crown. The thicknesses of the opposed walls of the cavity 24 of the boss 23 are substantially the same. The single piece molded crown 11 may be molded from any suitable synthetic plastic material, as for example, high density-high impact thermoplastic materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, Marlex and the like. Such thermoplastic materials may be conveniently injection molded to form the crown. On the other hand, if desired, the crown 11 may be molded from suitable thermosetting materials in which event compression molding would be utilized. The single piece crown 11 may be readily molded between a male die and a female die, the outer surfaces of the crown being formed by the female die and the inner surfaces of the Crown and the cavity 24 being formed by the male die. Here, the mold parting lines would extend along the inner side of the top edge 13 as indicated at 25 and along the outer side of the bottom edge 14 as indicated at 26. As a result, the single piece molded synthetic plastic crown 11 may be inexpensively manufactured and due to the construction thereof, it is simple and rugged and it etiiciently performs its function.

A plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and longitudinally arranged slots 28 are suitably formed in the elongated boss 23, the slots 28 extending through the elongated boss and the elongated cavity 24 therein. These slots 28 may be readily punched through the boss 23. It has been found that two such slots 28 spaced apart approximately seven inches with respect to a ycavity 24 having a length of approximately twelve inches is particularly desirable in connection with the securing of the shield in the cavity. A plurality of fastening pins 29 are slidably received within the slots 28, the fastening pins 29 having flanges 30 and 31 at their ends for maintaining the fastening pins in the slots 28 and for forming convenient means for sliding the fastening pins 29 in the slots 28.

The face shield also includes a transparent synthetic plastic shield 33 which is adapted to overlie the face of the wearer, the shield having a bottom edge 34 and a top edge 35. The transparent shield 33 may be formed of any suitable transparent synthetic plastic material such as clear cellulose acetates, cellulose acetate-butyrates, vinyl resins, and polymethyl acrylates such as Lucite and the like. In the particular example herein illustrated, the width of the transparent synthetic plastic shield 33 may be approximately eleven and one-half inches so as to be accommodated in the cavity 24 of the crown 11 and may have any desired depth, such as four inches, six inches, eight inches or the like, depending upon the use to which the face shield is to be subjected. The top edge 35 of the shield 33 is provided with a plurality of substantially L-shaped notches 36 which extend downwardly therefrom and which are spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the slots 28 in the boss 23 of the crown 11. In the above example, these notches 36 would be spaced apart approximately seven inches. The vertical leg portions of the substantially L-shaped slots 36 are flared as indicated at 38 so that the fastening pins 29 may be readily accommodated therein, and the horizontal base portions of the substantially L-shaped slots are undercut as indicated at 37 for releasably maintaining the fastening pins 29 in their locked positions.

The substantially L-shaped notches 36 in the top edge 35 of the shield 33 and the fastening pins 29 and the slots 28 in the boss 23 of the crown 11 form means for releasably locking the shield 33 to the crown 11. In assembling the shield 33 to the crown 11, the top edge 35 of the shield 33 is received in the elongated cavity 24 of the boss 23 of the crown 11 with the substantially L-shaped notches 36 of the shield registering with the slots 28 in the boss of the crown and with the substantially L-shaped notches 36 of the shield receiving the flanged fastening pins 29 carried by the slots 28 in the boss of the crown. When the fastening pins 29 are so received in the substantially L-shaped notches 36, the entry of the fastening pins into the notches 36 being facilitated by the ared leg portions 38 of the notches, the anged fastening pins 29 are slid along the slots 28 in the crown so as to enter the base portions of the notches 36 for releasably locking the shield 33 in the cavity 24 of the crown 11. The undercut portions 37 of the horizontal base portions of the substantially L-shaped notches 36 operate to maintain the flanged fastening pins 29 in their locked positions. The sliding movement of the fastening pins 29 in the slots 28 for locking and releasing the shield 33 is facilitated by the flanges 30 and 31 on the ends of the pins 29. It is thus seen that the transparent shield 33 may be readily replaced and readily releasably locked in the crown 11 by simple manipulation of the anged fastening pins 29.

While for purposes of illustration one form of this invention has been disclosed, other forms thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this disclosure and, therefore, this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A face shield for protecting the face of the wearer thereof comprising, a single piece molded synthetic plastic crown for overlying the forehead of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge converging at the rear thereof, the bottom edge of the crown having an elongated boss molded therealong, an elongated cavity molded in the boss and extending upwardly therein from the bottom edge of the crown, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and longitudinally arranged slots extending through the boss and the cavity therein, a plurality of flanged fastening pins slidably carried by the slots and extending through the cavity in the boss, and a transparent synthetic plastic shield for overlying the face of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge of the shield having a plurality of substantially L-shaped notches extending downwardly therefrom and spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the slots in the boss of the crown, the top edge of the shield being received in the cavity of the boss of the crown with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield registering with the slots in the boss of the crown and with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield receiving the fastening pins carried by the slots in the boss of the crown, and the fastening pins being slidable longitudinally in the slots in the boss of the crown and the substantially L- shaped notches in the shield for releasably locking the top edge of the shield in the cavity of the boss of the crown.

2. A face shield for protecting the face of the wearer thereof comprising, a single piece molded synthetic plastic crown foroverlying the forehead of the wearer comprising a double curved concave-convex wall having its convex side on the outside and having a top edge and bottom edge converging at the rear thereof, the top edge of the crown having an outwardly arranged elongated rib molded thereon for reinforcing the same, the bottom edge of the crown having an outwardly arranged elongated boss molded therealong and an elongated cavity molded in the boss and extending upwardly therein from the bottom edge of the crown, the thicknesses of the opposed walls of the cavity of the boss being substantially the same, the mold parting lines for the crown extending along the inner side of the top edge and the outer side of the bottom edge of the crown, a transparent synthetic plastic shield for overlying the face of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge of the shield being received in the cavity of the boss of the crown, and means for releasably locking the top edge of the shield in the cavity of the boss of the crown.

3. A face shield for protecting the face of the wearer thereof comprising, a single piece molded synthetic plastic crown for overlying the forehead of the wearer comprising a double curved concavo-convex wall having its convex side on the outside and having a top edge and bottom edge converging at the rear thereof, the top edge of the crown having an outwardly arranged elongated rib molded thereon for reinforcing the same, the bottom edge of the crown having an outwardly arranged elongated boss molded therealong and an elongated cavity molded in the boss and extending upwardly therein from the bottom edge of the crown, the mold parting lines for the crown extending along the inner side of the top edge and the outer side of the bottom edge of the crown, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and longitudinally arranged slots extending through the boss and the cavity therein, a plurality of flanged fastening pins slidably carried by the slots and extending through the cavity in the boss, and a transparent synthetic plastic shield for overlying the face of tne wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge of the shield having a plurality of substantially L-shaped notches extending downwardly therefrom and spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the slots in the boss of lthe crown, the top edge of the shield being received in the cavity of the boss of the crown with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield registering with the slots in the boss of the crown and with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield receiving the fastening pins carried by the slots in the boss of the crown, and the fastening pins being slidable longitudinally in the slots in the boss of the crown and the substantially L-shaped notches in the shield for releasably locking the top edge of the shield in the cavity of the boss of the crown. i

4. A face shield for protecting the face of the wearer thereof comprising, a crown for overlying the forehead of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge converging at the rear thereof, an elongated cavity extending longitudinally along the bottom edge and upwardly from the bottom edge of the crown, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and longitudinally arranged slots extending through the bottom portion ot the crown and the cavity therein, a plurality of flanged fastening pins slidably carried by the slots and extending through the cavity in the crown, and a transparent synthetic plastic shield for overlying the face of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge of the shield having a plurality of substantially L-shaped notches extending downwardly therefrom and spaced apart in accordance with the spacinnr of the slots in the crown, the top edge of the shield being received in the cavity in the crown with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield registering with the slots in the crown and with the substantially `L-shaped notches of the shield receiving the fastening pins carried by the slots in the crown, and the fastening pins being slidable longitudinally in the slots in the crown and the substantially I -shaped notches in the shield for releasably locking the top edge of the shield in the cavity of the crown,

5. A face shield for protecting the face of the wearer thereof comprising, a crown for overlying the forehead of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge converging at the rear thereof, an elongated cavity extending longitudinally along the bottom edge and upwardly from the bottom edge of the crown, and a plurality' of longitudinally spaced apart and longitudinally arranged slots extending through the bottom portion of the crown and the cavity therein, a plurality of ilanged fastening pins slidably carried by the slots and extending through the cavity in the crown, and a transparent synthetic plastic shield for overlying the face of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge of the shield having a plurality of substantially L-shaped notches extending downwardly therefrom and spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the slots in the crown, the top edge of the shield being received in the cavity in the crown with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield registering with the slots in the crown and with the substantially Lshaped notches of the shield receiving the fastening pins carried by the slots in the crown, and the fastening pins being slidable longitudinally in the slots in the crown and the substantially L-shaped notches in the shield for releasably locking the top edge of the shield in the cavity of the crown, the base portions of the substantially fL-shaped notches in the shield being undercut to form detent means for releasably maintaining the fastening pins in their locking positions.

6. A face shield for protecting the face of the wearer thereof comprising, a single piece molded synthetic plastic crown for overlying the forehead of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge converging at the rear thereof, the bottom edge of the crown having an elongated boss molded therealong, an elongated cavity molded in the boss and extending upwardly therein from the bottom edge of the crown, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and longitudinally arranged slots extending through the boss and the cavity therein, a plurality of flanged fastening pins slidably carried by the slots and extending through the cavity in the boss, and a transparent synthetic plastic shield for overlying the face of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge of the shield having a plurality of substantially L-shaped notches extending downwardly therefrom and spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the slots in the boss of the crown, the top edge of the shield being received in the cavity of the boss of the crown with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield registering with the slots in the boss of the crown and with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield receiving the fastening pins carried by the slots in the boss of the crown, and the fastening pins being slidable longitudinally in the slots in the boss of the crown and the substantially L-shaped notches in the shield for releasabiy locking the top edge of the shield in the cavity of the boss of the crown, the base portions of the substantially L-shaped notches in the shield being undercut to form detent means for releasably maintaining the fastening pins in their locking positions.

'7. A face shield for protecting the face of the wearer thereof comprising, a single piece molded synthetic plastic crown for overlying the forehead of the wearer comprisingr a double curved concavo-convex wall having its convex side on the outside and having a top edge and bottom edge converging at the rear thereof, the top edge of the crown having an outwardly arranged elongated rib molded thereon for reinforcing the same, the bottom edge of the crown having an outwardly arranged elongated boss molded therealong and an elongated cavity molded in the boss and extending upwardly therein from the bottom edge of the crown, the mold parting lines for the crown extending along the inner side of the top edge and the outer side of the bottom edge of the crown, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and longitudinally arranged slots extending through the boss and the cavity therein, a plurality of hanged fastening pins slidably carried by the slots and extending through the cavity in the boss, and a transparent synthetic plastic shield for overlying the face of the wearer and having a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge of the shield having a plurality of substantially L-shaped notches extending downwardly therefrom and spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the slots in the boss of the crown, the top edge of the shield being received in the cavity of the boss of the crown with the substantially L- shaped notches of the shield registering with the slots in the boss of the crown and with the substantially L-shaped notches of the shield receiving the fastening pins carried by the slots in the boss of the crown, and the fastening pins being slidable longitudinally in the slots in the boss of the crown and the substantially L-shaped notches in the shield for releasably locking the top edge of the shield in the cavity of the boss of the crown, the base portions of the substantially L-shaped notches in the shield being undercut to form detent means for releasably maintaining the fastening pins in their locking positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,459,810 5/49 Bowers 2-8 2,610,323 9/52 Johnson 2 8 2,659,888 11/53 Malcom 2-8 2,729,820 1/56 Anderson 2-8 2,750,593 6/56 Bowers 2*-9 2,755,476 7/56 Bowers 2-8 2,829,374 4/58 Malcom 2 9 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FACE SHIELD FOR PROTECTING THE FACE OF THE WEARER THEREOF COMPRISING, A SINGLE PIECE MOLDED SYNTHETIC PLASTIC CROWN FOR OVERYLING THE FOREHEAD OF THE WEARER AND HAVING A TOP EDGE AND A BOTTOM EDGE CONVERGING AT THE REAR THEREOF, THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE CROWN HAVING AN ELONGATED BOSS MOLDED THEREALONG, AN ELONGATED CAVITY MOLDED IN THE BOSS AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREIN FROM THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE CROWN, AND A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART AND LONGITUINDALLY ARRANGED SLOTS EXTENDING THROUGH THE BOSS AND THE CAVITY THEREIN, A PLURALITY OF FLANGED FASTENING PINE SLIDABLY CARRIED BY THE SLOTS AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE CAVITY IN THE BOSS, AND A TRANSPARENT SYNTHETIC PLASTIC SHIELD FOR OVERLYING THE FACE OF THE WEARER AND HAVING A TOP EDGE AND BOTTOM EDGE, THE TOP EDGE OF THE SHIELD HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY L-SHAPED NOTECHES EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM AND SPACED APART IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPACING OF THE SLOTS IN THE BOSS OF THE CROWN, THE TOP EDGE OF THE SHIELD BEING RECEIVED IN THE CAVITY OF THE BOSS OF THE CROWN WITH THE SUBSTANTIALLY L-SHAPED NOTCHES OF THE SHIELD REGISTERING WITH THE SLOTS IN THE BOSS OF THE CROWN AND WITH THE SUBSTANTIALLY L-SHAPED NOTCHES OF THE SHIELD RECEIVING THE FASTENING PINE CARRIED BY THE SLOTS IN THE BOSS OF THE CROWN, AND THE FASTENING PINE BEING SLIDABLE LONGITUDINALLY IN THE SLOTS IN THE BOSS OF THE CROWN AND THE SUBSTANTIALLY LSHAPED NOTCHES IN THE SHIELD FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING THE TOP EDGE OF THE SHIELD IN THE CAVITY OF THE BOSS OF THE CROWN. 